1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a modular unit of an external door handle, in particular, for vehicles, comprising a support fastened on the inner side of the door and having a receptacle for a lock cylinder cooperating with the door lock, further comprising a modular handle recess unit which can be mounted, from the external side of the door and partially through a door welt penetration, in a cutout within the support, and further comprising a lock bolt accessible through a hole in the door welt, which lock bolt is moveably guided on the support, and wherein the lock bolt can be moved from a release position, in which mounting and removal of the modular handle recess unit is possible, into a securing position relative to the modular handle recess unit mounted within the support, in which demounting of the modular handle recess unit is prevented.
2. Description of the Related Art
This modular external door handle unit comprises first the support which is fastened on the inside of the door. The support has a receptacle for a lock cylinder. This modular external door handle unit however also comprises a modular handle recess unit which can be mounted from the exterior side of the door through a penetration in the door within a cutout of the support. This modular handle recess unit is locked in position after mounting by a lock bolt which is movable within the support. The actuation of the lock bolt is realized through a hole within the door welt. When mounting the modular handle recess unit, bearing parts of the handle are moved through the penetration in the door and the cutout in the support to the inner side of the door where they can cooperate, like the lock cylinder, with the door lock upon actuation. The recess of the modular unit mounted within the support covers the door penetration in the outer skin of the door.
In a known modular external door handle unit of the assignee of the instant application, the lock cylinder was always a fixed component of the support and was fastened together with the support from the inside of the door on the external skin of the door. After attachment the lock cylinder seated within the support projected from the door penetration to the external side of the door and was then integrated into the modular handle recess unit upon mounting of the modular handle recess unit from the exterior side of the door. This known modular door handle unit requires a corresponding space in the delivery state because the lock cylinder is already integrated in the support and projects unwieldily from the plate-shaped support.
In an external door handle of a different type, which has neither a support to be fastened on the inner side of the door nor a modular handle recess unit (DE 2625011 A1), it is known to couple a lock cylinder, from the inside of the door, to a handle base member, already mounted at the external side of the door, in a bayonet coupling action by insertion and rotation and to secure the lock cylinder in its mounted position by an end plate, also placed from the inner side of the door, and by a forked spring that is transversely slipped on. Mounting of the lock cylinder from the inside of the door is cumbersome. The end plate and the forked spring required for securing the lock cylinder are lose parts which may be lost and which require separate manipulation.
In a further external door handle of the latter kind (EP 0 447 818 A1) it is known to insert a lock cylinder with revolving rod connected thereto from the external side of the door into a handle base member already fastened on the door. In the inserted state, the cylinder unit is locked by a threaded pin which is accessible through a lateral hole in the door welt.
There are also pulling-type external door handles with a bearing arm on one handle end and a shaft provided for actuating the door lock at the other handle end (DE 30 30 519 B1) which are inserted from the external side of the door through two separate penetrations in the outer skin of the door into the interior of the door where a support is fastened on the inner side of the door. The support has two separate cutouts in which the pulling handle with its bearing arm and its shaft can be inserted initially from the outer side of the door. The support has also a pivot bearing location which is coupled with the bearing arm by a subsequent lateral movement of the pulling handle. In addition to the shaft of the pulling handle, space is provided in the cutout of the support for a lock cylinder which is subsequently inserted from the outer side of the door and is also transversely moved for locking it in place. This end position of the lock cylinder is secured by a threaded connection.
This known pulling handle has a space-saving delivery state and ensures a defined mounting sequence, i.e., first handle introduction and subsequently introduction of the lock cylinder which prevents erroneous assembly, but these measures are not applicable to modular external door handle units of the kind the present invention deals with.
It is an object of the present invention to develop a space-saving modular external door handle unit of the aforementioned kind which ensures a simple and secure mounting of the modular handle recess unit, on the one hand, and of the lock cylinder, on the other hand.
In accordance with the present invention, this is achieved in that the lock cylinder can be coupled subsequently, from the external side of the door, in the receptacle of the support that is already fastened on the inner side of the door in a bayonet coupling action; in that the support comprises a locking member for the lock cylinder coupled within the support; in that the locking member is accessible at the support fastened on the inner side of the door through a hole in the door welt and is adjustable between two positions, i.e., an unlocking position, in which the bayonet coupling action and bayonet decoupling action of the lock cylinder is possible, and a locking position, in which the lock cylinder coupled within the support is locked; in that a movable cover is provided on the support which can be reversed, as needed, via the hole in the door welt between two positions, i.e., an initial position in which the cover closes the access to the lock bolt on the support, and an end position, in which the cover allows access to the lock bolt; in that the locking member projects in its unlocking position into the movement path of the cover and prevents reversal of the cover in the end position but, in its locking position, it is outside of the cover movement path and allows reversal of the cover in its end position; and in that the cover in its end position covers the locking member relative to the door welt hole and prevents movement of the locking member in the unlocking position, but the cover, in its initial position, allows access to the locking member relative to the hole in the door welt and allows adjustment between its two positions.
The cover moveably supported on the support ensures that even inexperienced personnel do not mount the different components of the modular external door handle unit in the wrong sequence, which could cause functional disruptions. This is achieved because the locking member for securing the lock cylinder coupled in the support projects into the movement path of the cover on the support when it is in the unlocking position. In this case, an interaction between the locking member and the cover takes place. At the same time, the cover in this case prevents access to the lock bolt via the hole within the door welt. Accordingly, at this point in time an undesirable locking of the erroneously first-mounted modular handle recess unit in the support is in principle prevented. The mounting personnel is forcedxe2x80x94by the way, in opposite analogy with regard to the aforementioned known pulling handlexe2x80x94to first couple the lock cylinder and to secure it by its locking member. Only after this has been successfully completed, the assembly worker can move the cover into its end position where the lock bolt is accessible for the modular handle recess unit. In this end position, on the other hand, the cover also covers the locking member relative to the door welt hole and prevents an accidental decoupling of the lock cylinder. After completion of mounting of the modular handle recess unit in the support, it is then possible, as is conventional, to actuate the lock bolt in order to secure the locked position of the modular handle recess unit within the support. The delivery state of the modular external door handle unit is space-saving. It is possible to supply generic supports, without lock cylinder, which can be mass-produced in large numbers inexpensively and which can be easily stored and transported. The assembly as well as the disassembly of the individual components of the modular external door handle unit are reliably fixed with regard to their sequence so that even inexperienced personnel cannot carry out incorrect mounting of the external door handle.